divorced before they can be expected to embrace the gospel of Christ. They hold some of the fundamental principles of religion. The present crisis in their commercial affairs, moreover, he regards as most favourable to this result. The slave trade has been, to a great extent, done away. A lawful and most important commerce has taken its place. A desire-the very reverse of what prevailed fifteen years ago-to have Christian teachers, prevails, especially near the coast; and great success has attended the labours of missionaries.* May we not, then, discern the dawning of a lighter day for Africa? Are not such facts and considerations an encouragement to Christians to go forward in the great work of her conversion to Christianity. B.

Bouschold Choughts.

PEACE AT HOME.

Ir is just as possible to keep a calm house as a clean house; a cheerful house, an orderly house, as a furnished house, if the heads set themselves to do so. Where is the difficulty of consulting each other's weakness as well as each other's wants; each other's tempers, as well as each other's characters? Oh! it is by leaving the peace at home to chance, instead of pursuing it by system, that so many houses are unhappy. It deserves notice, also, that almost any one can be courteous and patient, in a neighbour's house. If any thing

Previous to 1833 no Protestant missions had been established anywhere on the western coast, between Sierra Leone and the Cape of Good Hope, although the population in many places is very dense. Since then, ten distinct missions have been established there, at a distance of two, three, and four hundred miles apart, embracing four times that number of stations, and a still greater number of out stations. All these are now in a flourishing condition. 8000 children have been educated at them, some of whom are qualified to preach the gospel. 6000 persons have been hopefully converted to Christ; and ten dialects have been reduced to writing. A select committee, appointed by the British House of Commons, to consider the best means which that government could adopt for suppressing the slave trade, while reporting against the expediency of keeping up a naval force for that purpose, expressed the opinion that the internal improvement and the civilization of Africa would be the most effective means for this suppression. And for this purpose the instruction of the natives by missionary labours, by education, and by all practicable efforts, and the extension of legitimate commerce, ought to be encouraged, wherever the influence of England can be directed. Philanthropists are recognizing this. In Massachusetts an association has been chartered to found a college in Liberia. One gentleman has presented ten thousand dollars towards this fund, beside eight thousand subscribed in smaller sums. To the first annual report of this association we are indebted for some of the statements in this article. The late Mr. Bloomfield of Rome, New York, has left a residuary legacy, which will probably exceed $20,000, for the purpose of educating coloured persons in Africa for the ministry. Another person has formed two scholarships of $1500 each. Another gentleman has given the American Sunday School Union $10,000 as a permanent fund, the net income of which is to be expended in their publications, for circulation among Sabbath Schools in Liberia.

go wrong, or be out of time, or be disagreeable there, it is made the best of, not the worst; even efforts are made to excuse it, and to show it is not felt; or, if felt, it is attributed to accident, not to design; and this is not only easy, but natural, in the house of a friend. I will not, therefore, believe that what is so natural in the house of another, is impossible at home, but maintain without fear, that all the courtesies of social life may be upheld in domestic societies. A husband, as willing to be pleased at home, and as anxious to please as in his neighbour's house, and a wife as intent on making things comfortable every day to her family, as on set days to her guests, could not fail to make their own home happy. Let us not evade the point of these remarks by recurring to the maxim about allowances for temper. It is worse than folly to refer to our temper unless we could prove that we ever gained any thing by giving away to it. Fits of ill humour punish us quite as much, if not more than those they are vented upon; and it actually requires more effort, and inflicts more pain to give them up, than would be requisite to avoid them.-Philip.

THE OLD MAN'S GIFT.

'Twas a beautiful gift, from a white-haired man,

To his white-haired brother sending,

A staff for the weary to lean upon,

As his steps to the grave were tending.

And he felt that nature requires support,

Ere she sleeps on the lap of her mother;

And he knew that a branch from his childhood's home
Would sustain him, as would no other.

Bearing his spirit through days lang syne,

To scenes of freshness and beauty,

When the friends of his youth around him smiled,

And life seemed a pleasant duty.

And friends still live, else why this gift,

From a dear and distant brother?

'Tis a simple thing, yet it speaks to the heart,

As the voice of a gentle mother.

O! love in life's morn is beautiful,
More beautiful still at even;

May it bear ye both as a faithful staff

To the pearly gates of Heaven.-Selected.

FRUITS OF THE CATECHISM.

A MINISTER giving an account of a revival among his people, says: During this work of grace we have seen more than ever the value of our Catechisms, not merely in the light in which they are so generally regarded, that of communicating and establishing sound theo

retical views of divine truth, but as the means of leading inquiring souls to the Lamb of God. In giving instruction at the meetings for inquiry, I have frequently dwelt upon the answers relating to the offices of Christ, effectual calling, justification, repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, &c. Some exceedingly interesting facts have shown that they contain just the instruction which a sinner needs who is asking, "What must I do to be saved?" A young lady who had been for a long time in an anxious state of mind, called upon me for spiritual counsel. After a long conversation she left, apparently in the same state of mind as when she came, in darkness and distress. While walking homeward, endeavouring to solve the great inquiry by reflecting on various passages of Scripture which had been repeated to her, the answer to the question in the Shorter Catechism, "What is faith in Jesus Christ?" came into her mind. "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace by which we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he has offered to us in the gospel." It was the very form of truth that she needed, and almost in a moment the cloud was removed from her darkened soul, and she had peace in believing.

FIVE YEAR'S OLD.

I have a little darling, the loveliest thing alive,

A noble, sturdy boy is he, and yet he's only five;

His smooth cheek hath a blooming glow, his eye is black as jet,

And his lips are like two rose-buds, all tremulous and wet;

His days pass off in sunshine, in laughter, and in song,

As careless as a summer rill that sings itself along,
For like a pretty fairy tale that's all too quickly told,

Is the young life of a little one that's only five years old.

He's dreaming on his happy couch before the day grows dark,
He's up with morning's rosy ray a-singing with the lark;
Where'er the flowers are freshest, where'er the grass is green,
With light locks waving on the wind his fairy form is seen,
Amid the whistling March winds, amid the April showers;
He warbles with the singing birds and blossoms with the flowers;
He cares not for the summer heat, he cares not for the cold-
My sturdy little bright boy, that's only five years old.

How touching 'tis to see him clasp his dimpled hands in prayer!
And raise his little rosy face with reverential air!

How simple is his eloquence! how soft his accents fall
When pleading with the King of kings to love and bless us all!
And when from prayer he bounds away in innocence and joy,
The blessing of a smiling God seems with the happy boy.

A little lambkin of the flock within the Saviour's fold

Is he, my lovely bright child, that's only five years old.—Anonymous.

Bistorical and Biographical.

WASHINGTON AT THE COMMUNION TABLE IN MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

IN the February number of the Presbyterian Magazine we gave some historical incidents connecting the memory of Washington, in a somewhat interesting manner, with the Presbyterian Church. Among the incidents mentioned, was the fact that the only time Washington was known to partake of the Lord's Supper, after the commencement of his public career, was in the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, N. J. Shortly after the publication of the article referred to, we received a letter from our friend, the Rev. Nicholas Chevalier, of Christiansburgh, Va., who stated that, in a visit at Dr. Johnes' at Morristown, some years since, he was informed by that venerable man, who was a son of the Rev. Dr. Johnes, that he had often heard his father say, that the religious services of the Church were held, not in the meeting-house, but in an orchard not far from the parsonage. In order to ascertain more fully the facts of the case, we addressed a letter to the Rev. O. L. Kirtland, pastor of the Second Prosbyterian Church, at Morristown, who was the more competent to answer the inquiries, from the circumstance that he had himself married into the family of the Rev. Dr. Johnes. The following is Mr. Kirtland's reply:

Rev. and Dear Brother:

*

* * * Touching the religious services in the orchard, and the communion there attended by Washington, the information which you speak of as received from the Rev. Mr. Chevalier, was substantially correct. The father of Mrs. Kirtland was the son of the Rev. Dr. Timothy Johnes-lived with him, and took care of him in his old age, and till his death-remained in the homestead of his father, and died there in his 83d year, Nov. 1836. Mrs. Kirtland was born in the same house, and never had her home elsewhere till a short time since. She recollects very distinctly that she was accustomed to hear her father speak of the fact that the religious services of the congregation were conducted in the orchard, in the rear of the house, whilst Washington was here during the Revolutionary War. This was one of the familiar facts often repeated during her early years. She has, no doubt, that a part of the familiar subject of the conversation of her father with the family,

and with visitors, was, that the communion which General Washington attended, was held in the orchard.

In the orchard there is a natural basin several feet deep, and a few rods in diameter. The basin was formerly considerably deeper than at present, having been partly filled in the process of tilling ever since the Revolution. Mrs. Kirtland recollects that her father used to say, that when the people assembled for worship, they occupied the bottom of that basin for their place of meeting. The minister stood on one side of the basin, so as to be elevated above his congregation. The whole field inclines towards the morning and mid-day sun. The rising grounds in the rear would, to a great extent, shield the congregation from the usual winds of winter. Indeed, the basin was formerly so deep, that the wind from any direction, would mainly pass over them.

A brother of Mrs. Kirtland, several years older than herself, and other members of the family, tell me that their recollections are distinct, and in harmony with hers, touching the meetings in the orchard, the communion, and the presence of Washington there.

John B. Johnes, M. D., now living in this place, and over sixty years of age, grandson of the old minister, and cousin of Mrs. Kirtland, recollects it as the familiar talk of his father, and also of his uncle, Mrs. Kirtland's father, that the religious services, whilst Washington was here, were in that orchard.

Mrs. Scofield, wife of one of our lawyers, and grand-daughter of a Mrs. Ford, whose name has been handed down to us fragrant with piety, informs me that her grandmother used to tell her about attending the meetings in the orchard. On one occasion, when the old lady was present, Washington was there sitting in his camp chair, brought in for the occasion. During the service, a woman came into the congregation with a child in her arms; Washington arose from his chair and gave it to the woman with the child.

I think a large amount of similar testimony may be obtained, making the proof of the meetings in the orchard, of the communion, and of the attendance of Washington there, about as strong as tradition could make it.

You wish to know why they should, and how they could meet in the open air in the winter. Tradition says that there was a vast amount of sickness and suffering in the army, that the small-pox prevailed fearfully, and that the Presbyterian and Baptist churches, and court-house, were occupied as hospitals-the father of Mrs. Kirtland having, the latter part of the time, the supervision of the hospitals-so that there was no place for the meeting of the congregation, except in the open air.

We should not forget that the soldiers of the Revolution, and the good people who lived here at that time, were more hardy than this generation. Trembling, as they were, all winter, with the fear of an attack from the British, their house of worship occupied with poor, sick, dying, and dead men, (for tradition says that numbers of dead men would sometimes be found under the seats in the morning, i. e.